The word Somali may come to you in an ugly and negative way- the piracy, the terrorists, to mention but a few. But little is always true about this! On the contrary, there is a place in the world where this name is associated with hope and success. However, one may question where in the…

Aleybeday is a uniquely beautiful remote village that lies on the Somaliland-Ethiopia border. The village is semi-arid with a short rainy season, receiving about 650 millimetres of rain per year. It is an area bordered by sandy land and highly susceptible to drought conditions in as much as it has a vast land covered with…

According to Oxfam’s report, Keeping the Life Line Open – Remittances and Markets in Somalia, Somalis abroad use money transfer companies to send home an estimated $1.3 billion annually. These companies have a presence throughout the Somali territories and beyond, and together they provide basic financial services. Just a couple of weeks ago, Merchants Bank…

Young Ugbad Abdi Dirie in her village Whenever one visits the Daroor District on the border of Ethiopia and Somaliland, you cannot help but admire the zeal and determination portrayed by the youth of Wabaado village. During our visit, we met Ugbad Abdi Dirie, a twenty one year old phenomenal girl who has been brought…

MORE THAN HALF of Somaliland’s population is under 18 years old, with the majority born after the overthrow of Siad Barre in 1991- a pivotal era where most of health services came to standstill. The current generation of young people in Somaliland, therefore, has known health problems and hardships for most of their lives. Health issues…

KALTUN AHMED EGAL is a mother of 3 girls and 6 boys; she was born and bred in Berbera-Sahil. She is a housewife living with her husband who is a casual labourer. Unfortunate Girl she was… Kaltun is a survivor of severe Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). She recalled the pain she had to go through…

The Understanding of HIV-Aids Face UBAH ELMI, not the real name, is a mother and widow of 30 years old living with HIV-Aids.. She has two beautiful children, a son, named Ahmed and a daughter with the name of Ilhan. She now lives in Lasdacwo- Sahil Somaliland. Lasdacawo is just a small and remote…

Over the last 20 years, war of ugliest kind has been fought in Somalia. Somali people, wherever they are, spoiled their true identity. Don’t get offended. This is a choice Somalis made themselves! Today what-so-called Somali Republic is shattered into pieces and exists just in dreams. The ‘Somali’ name has been labeled with all sorts…